Wildfire in Echols, Georgia

By the 20th of April, the Pineland Road fire wildfire that ignited over southern Clinch County crossed into Echols County, with several roads north of route 94E told to prepare to evacuate. The fire grew to 16500 acres by the 21st of April, with a mandatory evacuation issued for Will Rewis Rd and Chauncey Rd. By the 22nd of April, the fire reached about 29600 acres in size, and the Fruitland area was added to the mandatory evacuation. By the 26th, the fire had grown to 32000 acres and 14 roads were closed in Echols County as a result. A report from the Georgia Forestry Commission on the 28th of April stated that 187 residences and 123 other minor structures remained threatened as the fire remained around 32000 acres in size. The fire reached 40% containment by the evening of April 30th. The estimated cost of the wildfire was around $14-15 million.

Extreme to exceptional drought continued or worsened for the majority of the region throughout the month of April. This, combined with many days of breezy to gusty wind conditions, resulted in a large wildfire over inland southeast Georgia.